


I'm Here.

by werewolf715



Category: The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Amazon Jungle, Falling In Love, Idiots in Love, M/M, Photography
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2017-01-13
Packaged: 2018-09-09 13:05:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8891902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/werewolf715/pseuds/werewolf715
Summary: When Minho Park flew to the Amazon to work on a piece in National Geographic, he did not expect to be working with someone. Especially not someone as stuck up as Newton Isaacs. Unfortunately, Minho has to live with Newt for the next couple months as the two of them take pictures to capture the beauty of the forest. But as the days go by, Minho realizes that maybe he’s not so unlucky after all. 
(MinewtBang, 2016)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> (A/N: Special thanks to my wonderful beta, @lamborgenji (on tumblr) who has managed to stick with my inconsistency for all this time. Thank you to my fantastic artist, @honeyflys, for creating such lovely art which captures the essence of my work. 
> 
> And finally, thank you to the amazing organizers of this, @minewtbang. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this, it took a lot of work from all of us.)

“I have to work with him?” Came both of their voices, completely synchronized. Minho stared at the other man, chocolate eyes meeting periwinkle. His fellow photographer was a couple inches taller than him, with wispy blond hair. His frame was lanky, and he was wearing lavender button-down and slacks, a direct contrast to Minho’s wrinkly t-shirt and cargo shorts. His cheeks were pink, eyes clear and Minho felt as if he couldn’t breathe. The man pursed his lips before turning back to the representative from National Geographic, Teresa Agnes. 

“Are you sure? I usually do solo jobs.” 

“Same here.” Minho added. Teresa looked serious, but Minho could see the laughter in her eyes. 

“Yes, I am sure. We hired you both because you are two of the best photographers in the United States. The Amazon is too large a place to cover with only one photographer, even if we are only covering one part. This article requires two of the best photographers to record the transition between wet to dry season.” Teresa paused to take a breath before gesturing towards Minho first, then the other photographer. “This is Newton Isaacs and this is Minho Park.”  
“But-”  
“No ‘but’s’. We are providing your rooms for tonight, do whatever you feel like. And tomorrow, at seven o’clock sharp, we will set out for the rainforest.” Teresa finished, turning on her heel and marching off. Minho looked at his fellow photographer again. The other man looked a lot more put out than Minho was. He decided to take a stab at being friendly.

“Hey. I’m Minho.” 

“Hmph.” The blond said, giving him a once-over, before turning and walking away from Minho. Minho crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at Newt’s retreating back. So much for that.

“What’s his problem?” Minho mumbled to himself, alone in the hotel lobby. Sighing, he set off towards the stairs, ready to collapse onto his bed. His dreams were filled with blonde hair and lilac.

**  
Minho reached the hotel lobby five minutes after seven. He yawned, thumping his camera equipment down and stretching, blinking blearily. To his right, the other photographer was staring at him with an unreadable look on his face. 

“What?” Minho asked, running a hand through his hair, “Is there something on my face?” 

Newt didn’t answer, instead turning back towards Teresa for instructions. She stood in front of them, looking completely awake with long black pants and a blue shirt, holding a clipboard and umbrella. Minho shrugged. 

“As you probably already know, from reading the itinerary, we will be taking a seaplane there, and whether or not you will take pictures is up to you, but the pilot has been instructed to go slower than usual.” Teresa began walking, her heels clicking on the tile, and both Newt and Minho scrambled to follow. The stairs were slippery and Minho’s worn out sneakers didn’t have the purchase to hold on. He slipped, hands flailing, one finding its way to the railing and the other landing on Newt’s shoulder. Minho stopped, temporarily stable, and his eyes met Newt’s clear blue ones. They stared at each other. 

“Sorry ‘bout that.” Minho said, removing his hand and standing straight. 

“Forget about it.” Newt said, clearing his throat, eyes looking the other direction. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Minho said, confused. First this guy kept staring at him, now he couldn’t even make eye contact. Strange.. Newt nodded and continued walking down the stairs. Teresa was at the bottom, eyebrows raised, as she watched the scene unfold. Well, that was weird. 

Minho shrugged and continued walking down the stairs, now keeping one hand firmly attached to the railing, just in case. 

**

It starts raining slowly, in little drops which Newt tries not to notice. He shivers, mind going back to that night so many years ago. There’s a girl and then her scream. His sister. He takes a deep breath, the drops of rain slowly soaking into his shirt. Newt tries to focus on something other than the rain when he suddenly notices it stopping. 

There’s an umbrella above him, it’s purple and Newt hears the rain pricking on it instead. Newt looks to the side, at Minho, who has an arm out, holding the umbrella. Newt says nothing, biting his lip and looking down. Minho chuckles beside him.

“Thank you.” Newt whispers, arms coming around himself to hug his middle. Minho says nothing, offering silent support in the form of the umbrella as the two wait for the seaplane to arrive. 

**

“After you.” Minho said, bowing slightly. Newt looked towards him, amusement in his eyes (finally, something other than that blank stare), but just walked up and into the seaplane. Minho shrugged, and took out his camera, snapping a couple pictures of the plane, before getting in beside Newt. Teresa was in the seat behind them, looking bored as she flipped through her bright blue binder. The two of them put on their headphones, and Newt removed his camera from his bag. The pilot shot them a thumbs up, and they were off. 

Minho stared out the window, eyes alight as the river spreads out underneath them. His camera comes up and he snaps some pictures, trying to capture labyrinth of islands in the Rio Negro. He brought the camera down, and merely watched the islands zip by slowly, keeping his camera ready, but not trained on the scenery. Newt was still taking pictures, occasionally brushing his long hair away from his face. Minho grinned, took out his phone and tapped Newt on the shoulder. Newt turnedto face him, questioning. 

“Selfie?” Minho yelled over the roar of the plane, and held out his phone. Newt’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he glanced towards Minho’s phone. Minho laughed, taking a couple pictures before putting it away. Newt just stared at him. Minho shrugged, trying not to be too disappointed; he’d been hoping for more of a reaction. He went back to taking more pictures of the water. 

**

“Is there wifi here?” Minho couldn’t help but ask. Newt raised an eyebrow at him, and Minho shrugged. “What? I’ve got to update my instagram.”

The hotel was simple, a clean wooden floor, polished and a chandelier made of a white wood hanging from the ceiling. There were pictures on the two walls, but most of the hotel was open, showing the lush greenery outside. He snapped another photo of the hotel lobby, already thinking about what caption he could add to it. 

“Well, there is wifi here, but I’m afraid it can be spotty.” Thomas, the hotel manager, warned them. “But here’s the wifi password.” 

Thomas passed Minho a slip of paper before continuing to talk about the various amenities at the hotel. He zoned out, the murmur of Thomas’s voice a faint hum in the background, as he began to edit his photos. 

“....and you two will, of course, be sharing a room. Got it?” 

“Hmm?” Minho looked up, turning his phone off and placing it on the wooden table. Thomas chuckled and Teresa only rolled her eyes. Newt was reading over the papers in front of him. 

“Now you pay attention?” Teresa said, giving Minho a death glare. “Look, Newt was listening. He can fill you in on the way to your room. Okay? Now, buzz off.” 

Minho was still confused, but was quickly ushered away by Teresa to the tune of Thomas’s laughter. He walked towards his room, a glass of passion fruit juice in his hand, a camera in the other, and Newt beside him, telling him about the different procedures. Minho couldn’t help but zone out a little (again); Newt’s voice combined with the sounds of the jungle were calming. 

“Are you even listening to me?” Newt’s voice sounded royally annoyed, but Minho noticed the slight quirk in his lips. Minho found himself grinning as well.. 

“Sure.” Minho told him, winking. Newt laughed, before stifling it and walking up the stairs to the door of their mini-house. The door opened with a low creak, and Newt flicked the switch, bathing the room in a warm yellow glow. 

“Er, Park?”

“What?”

“There’s only one bed.”

**


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Hello!! Okay, so I'm really just posting this erratically, mostly because I haven't had time to come up with my ending yet. I'm debating on two of them at the moment.... Anyways, thanks for reading and I hope you like this chapter!!! As always, wonderful thanks to my beta, @lamborgenji on tumblr and @honeyflys !!! Go check them out, they're so great.)

Minho collapsed on the bed, exhausted. The director had told them that they’d get the bed changed out before Minho and Newt returned from their night spotting. Minho sighed, sniffing the clean, soft cotton of the bed sheets and closing his eyes. Maybe he could just take a quick nap…

“You do know we have to get to dinner in thirty minutes right? And then we’re going out for a nighttime shoot.” Newt’s voice filtered in through the musty caverns of Minho’s mind. He mumbled something into the pillow.   
“What?”   
“I’ll take a thirty minute nap and then go.” 

“Alright then. Goodnight. And please don’t dirty the bed.” And with that, Minho drifted away, the edges of his brain getting fuzzier and fuzzier before he finally dozed off. 

**

Consciousness came back to Minho in waves, starting with the calm clicks of a keyboard, then the clicks of a camera. Next the soft scent of lavender wafted in, combined with the muskiness that was characteristic of the tropics. He blinked a couple times, the warm glow of the lamps by the bed filling his vision, before his eyes closing again. He was finally awoken by someone shaking his shoulder. A lilting voice floated around the edges of his consciousness.. 

“Minho. Minho, wake up!” 

“I’m awake!” Minho’s eyes snapped open as he cried out. He sat up, staring at Newt, almost glowing through the warm light. “Hey, you just called me Minho. Are you starting to like me?” 

“What? No.” Newt denied, looking away. It might have been more convincing if his voice hadn’t cracked a little on the ‘o’. The warm feeling in Minho’s stomach paralleled the crimson blush on Newt’s cheek. “You were going to be late for dinner.” 

Minho stared after his retreating form, trying to stifle his cartwheeling heart, and sighed. He stood up and headed towards the bathroom. Minho left the bathroom with a sigh to see Newt sitting on their bed, shoulders drawn up, eyes staring at a small picture Minho has seen tucked in his wallet. He moved closer, eyes peering at it. The photo was of a young girl staring straight at the camera, but that’s was all Minho could make out before the photo was whisked away. 

“Do you mind?” Newt asks, his voice short as he bristles. His eyes are cold. Minho holds up his hands placatingly. 

“You’re right, man, I’m sorry. It was none of my business.” Minho says calmly, eyes   
looking downwards. Newt takes a deep breath. Minho looks up in time to see him grimace. 

“It’s alright. That was just my sister, Adelaide.” Newt says, clearing his throat and wiping at his eyes. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that tears had come to his eyes. 

**

They spent dinner with their guide, Krishna, who explained to them the different rules of their night spotting. They were to travel around in a boat in the dark, with all their equipment, looking through the trees for any wildlife which may be sleeping. Krishna had said he would take them to the inner river, as long as they didn’t make much noise and didn’t bother the wildlife. After he left, Newt yawned and looked down at his plate. 

“What’s wrong?” Minho asked him, taking another bite of his chocolate soufflè. Newt looked at him with a tired smile, his eyes tearing up as he took another massive yawn. There were bags under his eyes that made Minho want to carry him back to their room and tuck him into bed. Poor guy, he looked like he could barely sit up. Minho shook his head,that was a weird thought…. 

“I’m just tired. Too much time working, not as much time resting.” 

“Maybe it was a good idea that I took a nap then, eh?” Minho said with a wink. Newt stifled a smile before yawning again. Minho wished Newt would let him see that smile for longer than two seconds. It was rather nice.

“I’ll never admit to that.” Newt said, smirking. Minho laughed, glad to have brightened Newt’s mood at least a little. 

“But what were you working on, anyways?” Minho asked, waving his hand in front of Newt’s face when he saw that the other had zoned out. “Newt?” 

“Hmm?” Newt said, blinking a couple times before shaking his head. “Oh, nothing.” 

Minho looked at him, before nodding and sipping his coffee. “Maybe you should try some coffee.” 

“Good idea.” Newt replied, before looking away, his fingers drumming on the table. Silence fell. Minho cleared his throat, sipping more coffee. 

Finally Newt asked, “What are you planning on doing to actually photograph the animals though?” 

“Um… I’m probably going to grab some flash guns, of course my main camera, and a tripod? I really hope my stuff doesn’t get wet.” 

“Do you think we should set up some motion triggered cameras for after dark?” 

“Maybe… but at the same time I don’t want my gear to get wet. It rains way too much here.”

“Not for the animals or people that live here,” Newt pointed out. Minho had to smile at that

“That’s true, but it is way too much for my camera bag.” 

Newt quickly checked his watch before staring back at it again. “We should really get going, especially before the sun sets.” 

**

The sun was sitting directly above the horizon, bathing the river in a soft light. Newt breathed in, the smell of the thick trees and wetness of the forest saturating his nose. He and Minho made their way down the stairs to the dock. Krishna wasn’t there yet. Restless, Minho took out a tripod from his bag. Newt looked at him, watching as he assembled the tripod on the dock, taking his camera out from his bag.

“What are you doing?” Newt asked him, eyebrow furrowing. Minho looked up, camera in hand, a rakish grin spread across his face. Newt’s hands ached for a camera. He shoved away the urge to take a picture of that grin and he took a deep breath to steady himself. 

“I’m trying to get the star patterns across the sky. There’s a new moon today and tomorrow.” 

“You’re just going to leave it here?”

“Well, yeah….”

“What if it gets stolen?” 

“Oh, right.” 

“Maybe ask someone from the lodge to watch it? Or do it after?” 

“No, I don’t want to bother the people from the lodge. This is a pretty boring task.” Minho said, and sighed. He put his camera away and folded up the tripod before smiling towards Newt again. “I’ll just do it after.”

“Erm, sorry about that.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Minho said, with another grin. (What was it with this guy and smiling?) “You probably saved my camera from being stolen or from getting super wet so cookies for you.” 

“Cookies?” 

“Inside joke.” Minho explained. “My parents would say ‘cookies for you’ whenever we did or said something thoughtful. Unfortunately, they never actually did get us cookies.” 

“Huh,” was the only thing Newt could say before Krishna arrived. 

“Sorry about the delay guys, are you ready to get started?” Krishna asked, clapping his hands together. 

**

“This is so beautiful.” Newt murmured to himself as the boat set out from the dock. The stars were beginning to emerge, a beautiful contrast to the sleepy sun, dipping below the horizons. The wind was slight, but as the boat began to accelerate, the air blew back into Newt’s eyes, pushing his hair back and Newt found himself laughing with delight. He looked to the right, starting when he saw that Minho was already looking towards him. Minho bit his lip and looked away, raising his camera to the trees. What was that about?

Newt dipped his hand into the spray, taking his camera out to attempt to snap a picture.   
“Do you need a hand?” Minho asked suddenly from beside him. Newt jumped, almost dropping his camera before regaining his composure. 

“Don’t do that.”

“My bad.” Minho gave him a shit-eating grin and held out his hand. Huffing, Newt handed it over and dipped his hand over the spray. 

“So, just-” Newt started, but before he finished Minho had already leaned over to take a picture. Newt rolled his eyes over Minho’s back, but let himself be soothed by the spray. 

“Like this?” Minho showed him the image, and Newt raised an eyebrow, surprised. His hand was half in-half out of the water, and the reflection of the camera was shown in the image. For such a terrible angle, Minho had done a good job. 

“It’s pretty…. good, actually.” Newt said, and his eyes caught Minho’s as he bit his lip. “For the angle, I mean.”

“Thank you. I try.” Minho leaned back, and Newt couldn’t help but miss the warmth across his thigh as he went back to staring out at the scenery. 

**

“Snake!” Krishna whispered as he slowed the boat down near a group of foliage. Newt grinned, leaning forward, his camera poised. The boat had been speeding around for a couple hours at least. Krishna was doing his best to spot the well-hidden animals in the thick forest. So far, they had spotted a couple sloths, an owl, a few different types of birds, an enormous tarantula and a caiman. He looked to his right, to see Minho backing away slightly. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“...Nothing.” 

“Liar.” Newt said, snorting. “You’re backing away, and sweating, even though you’re wearing a coat.” 

“Alright, alright, Sherlock. I’m just a little scared of snakes.” 

“Oh.” Newt mulled over that a little bit. “But you have some pictures of snakes on your blog.” 

“Stalk my blog, do you?”

“No! Of course not. I was just trying to get to know your photos better.” Newt muttered, feeling like he’d been caught with his hand in a cookie jar. He hoped the flush on his face wasn’t evident in the dark. But judging from Minho’s smirk, he was probably bright red by now. 

“Right. That’s what they all say.” Minho said with a wink. Newt couldn’t help the ridiculous laughter bubbling up in the back of his throat, but he smothered it with a cough. 

Minho continued, “I’ve just always been a little scared of snakes, but try to get over it for the photos, you know?” 

“Don’t worry,” Krishna cut in as the boat slowed to a stop. “This snake looks very full and as long as we stay away, it’ll be fine. It’s a rainbow boa.” 

Newt crept forward eagerly, but Minho still looked a little hesitant. 

“Don’t worry.” Newt said, boldly. Minho looked confused, his eyebrows pursed. “I’ll protect you.” 

Newt winked, and couldn’t help the smile on his face when Minho broke out laughing behind him. He bit his lip, but Minho’s twinkling gaze said that he had seen the smile. Hesitantly, Newt grinned at him again. Minho winks back. 

**

“....no, mom, I’m fine…. Yeah, I’ve been eating…. Don’t worry, mom, I’ve been sleeping okay…. Yeah, no nightmares…. So far….” Newt hears Minho’s voice on the phone as he comes out of the bathroom, toweling his hair dry. He stands there, breathing in the colder air, goosebumps on his skin. He can hear Minho in the other room, and Newt knows that it’s wrong to eavesdrop, and yet… 

“Brazil is beautiful, the two of us should really go see it…. Has dad been bothering you again?.... Okay, good…. No, I’m not really worried about him…. Mom, I promise, I am fine and I will let you know if I’m not…. Okay…. I love you too, bye.” Newt can hear the audible click of the phone hanging up, and then he walks into the room. Minho starts, eyes wide. He swallows.

“Did you hear any of that?”

“Not much.” 

“Okay good.” Minho replies, walking towards his suitcase to grab his pajamas. 

“Are you okay? And your family?” Newt can’t help but ask. Minho stiffens visibly and  
Newt regrets his question. His voice sounds more choked up when he answers. 

“Yeah, we’re all good.” Minho says, clearing his throat. Newt doesn’t say anything, choosing not to pry and regretting that he already had. Minho’s suitcase is still open, with Minho looking down in it, but not taking anything out. 

“Minho?”

“Hmm?” Minho looks towards him, smile plastered on his face. “I’m great.” 

**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: I hope you enjoyed that! Please don't forget to leave kudos or a comment if you have time. As always, thank you to my wonderful beta, @lamborgenji and my artist, @honeyflys !!)

**Author's Note:**

> (A/N: Thank you again, to my fantastic beta (@lamborgenji) and to my amazing artist (@honeyflys). 
> 
> Don't forget to leave some kudos and review! It's greatly appreciated. 
> 
> I have most of it done, Oops I haven't finished but don't tell anyone ;), and I will try to post a chapter periodically. Thank you for your patience!)


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